NZ Sculpture OnShore Returns With A Wonderous Range Of Art To Inspire And Enjoy

Scoop

6 days ago

Tickets to NZ Sculpture OnShore – the country's largest outdoor sculpture exhibition – are now on sale, offering visitors access to more than 120 joyful, inspiring and spectacular works held at Operetu Fort Takapuna, the stunning clifftop park in Devonport, Auckland.
The biennial exhibition which features monumental multi-metre-high sculptures, quirky and colourful creations, light and sound art works, and several site-specific installations, will be open to the public from 8 to 23 November.
Proceeds from the sale of artwork at the event, now in its 29th year, go to Women's Refuge NZ. Since inception, it has raised more than $2.6 million for the victims of domestic violence. Funds raised from this year's exhibition will go directly toward supporting and protecting women and children experiencing extreme hardship through the Sievwright Fund, and to the Friends of Women's Refuge Counselling services.
NZ Sculpture OnShore is Women's Refuge NZ's largest public fundraising event.
The exhibition features work from emerging and established artists from around New Zealand, with a mix of crowd favourites who have exhibited at previous events, and others offering fresh and exciting new perspectives.
Exhibition curator Sally Lush says the range of art in this year's exhibition is truly remarkable.
'A day spent at NZ Sculpture OnShore offers awe and wonder to all who attend. The artworks on show have been selected to bring a sense of fun, to offer beauty, to ask questions, or to deepen our understanding of the world around us.
'Some sculptures can be carried in one hand, while others need cranes and heavy machinery to install. Many of the exhibiting artists are internationally acclaimed, and we are incredibly fortunate that their works are available for view and purchase,' says Ms Lush.
Included in this year's exhibition are 2023 Fisher Funds People's Choice Award winner Jamie Thomas (Bombay Hills) who returns with Loose Ends comprising three twisted and compressed three-tonne steel balls up to 1.6-metres in height evoking collapse, tension, industrial transformation and decay. Clinton Christian (Hamilton) presents Lifesaver - a bright red, resin-coated circular seat 1.2-metres in diameter designed to offer solace and hope for brighter days ahead; Daniel McKerrow (Hawera), whose super-sized tūī dominated the skyline at 2023s exhibition, presents Whakaruruhau, a towering tribute to protection, strength and collective healing; and Merle Bishop (Takapuna) is back with Sit With Me…I Brought These for You! - a fresh iteration of her Sit With Me seat featuring Spot, the endearing dog that captured visitors' hearts at the 2023 exhibition.
Artists taking part in this year's exhibition come from Ahipara in the Far North to Arrowtown in the Deep South.
There are 19 works in this year's exhibition by South Island artists, including Bryn Jones (Dunedin) with The Wake - a 3-metre-long fibreglass whale plunging to the surface, marked with scrimshaw drawings as a reminder of our history and mistreatment of these taonga; Arrowtown's Fiona Garlick presenting Piwakawaka and the Pinecone in bronze, inviting us to ask the question 'could this cheeky little messenger be heralding the demise of our native landscape to wilding pine?'. You'll need to look up to see Christchurch artist Justin Galligan 's The Absentee – a group of 4.4-metre-high chairs made of steel that are each light enough to carry.
You'll see innovative work by artists working in a variety of materials. Beehive, created to look like New Zealand's parliament building by Studio Reset (Ōtaki) and her swarm of bees is bound to attract a crowd. 'it's about the 'politics' of the bees themselves, working together towards a common goal, each achieving their own tasks for the greater good of the hive,' says the artist. Sean Crawford (Masterton) injects humour to his artwork Urban Angels which comprises stainless steel road cones with lighting elements, signalling danger and caution as a sign of our times; and Mt Roskill, Auckland artist Amanda MacKenzie 's 2-metre-high Whorl made entirely of coat hangers is wonderous.
Two artists invite us to act rather than avoid the 'elephant in the room' with towering works: Facing Our Elephants a 2.5-metre-high and 3.5-metre-wide mother with her baby in corten steel by Clevedon artist Jorge Wright; and Whangārei artist Kristin Kay's ceramic What Elephant? which will be on view in one of the Fort's gun emplacements.
This year's event includes more than 11 sculptures from Māori artists across the motu. They include works by three members of the Rotorua-based Kemp family. Master carver Joe Kemp (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāpuhi and Te Arawa ki Ngāti Makino) presents Hinemoana guardian of the waterways surrounding Operetu; Kemp's partner Sherie Kemp exhibits Ngā Whetū O Matariki comprising nine sculptural rocks depicting the Matariki star constellation; and their son Teimah Kemp who takes part in the exhibition for the first time with a 1.6-metre-high Hei Tiki depicting new life carved from Oamaru stone.
New for this year's exhibition is the Take a Seat trail; an imaginative journey of quirky, whimsical, stylish and practical seating placed along the coastal paths and gardens.
'These one-of-a-kind seats invite visitors to take a moment to sit, rest, and take in the breathtaking views,' says Ms Lush.
'We're thrilled to also unveil a new Garden Art Series and Gallery,' adds Ms Lush. 'The indoor gallery is always extremely popular. This year visitors will experience an expanded offering with a curated collection of smaller-scale sculptures nestled outside in the gardens which will be available to take home the same day of purchase.'
NZ Sculpture OnShore general manager Dee Paranihi says the event is a great day out to share with family or friends.
'This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy outdoor art in a relaxed and beautiful setting, whilst actively supporting a great cause.'
The site's underground fort will once again host the Auckland schools' exhibition, featuring collaborative works by a record number of 20 primary, intermediate and high schools.
'Our event is one of the rare occasions that the public can access and visit the historic fort and tunnels at this rich cultural location,' says Ms Paranihi.
Women's Refuge Chief Executive Dr Ang Jury has expressed deep gratitude for the immense contribution of organisers and artists involved in the long-running fundraising event.
'For almost 30 years, this event has brought together an extraordinary range of art. It's not only an incredible day out, but also a crucial fundraiser that enables us to do more for the women and children who use our services. I just can't thank the Friends of Women's Refuges Trust enough for their dedication and enduring partnership,' says Dr Jury.
NZ Sculpture OnShore is grateful for the support of principal sponsor Fisher Funds and gold sponsors Hesketh Henry and Harcourts Cooper & Co.
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